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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: snap · press · degree · dip · object · safe · mark · rule

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. mark — a trace
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. press — newspapers
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. snap — to click
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. degree — from a university
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. object — an aim
  12. degree — an amount
  13. rule — government
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. press — a publisher
  16. object — a thing
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. dip — to sink
  19. rule — a law
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. mark — a grade
  22. press — to push
  23. degree — temperature
  24. object — to protest

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com